Hello all,

I need help, I was just a banded a week ago, and yesterday and today have been HELL for me. I am so hungry, I ate yesterday afternoon, and today, but today was much worse. I know many of you will question why I did this surgery in th first place if I was going to cotinue over eatig, well I am genuinelly hungry!! I do not he healthy food to eat (at least) so I gave in. Now I feel like a self-sabottaging monster. I have cried, called my husband at work for moral support, and for the first time, I contacted OA (overeaters annonymous). I did not get the answers I needed at the moment, because there were no meeting today around my area, but I am for sure going to look into it, as I feel this will help me gain mental strength.

My question to all of you is, Is anyone out there in the same boat that I am? I can handle morning huuuuger quite well,

but when it comes to 3- or 4 in the afternoon, my hunger strikes with a vengence!! Any suggestions or opinions ar emore than welcome, but please don't try to scold me, like if I am a minor, I would appreciate some useful information or tactics that worked for you instead. Thank you in advance and have a blessed day!!!!!

What are you eating? If you are that hungry, it sounds like you aren't getting enough Protein in. If you are eating carbs or sweets...you will keep feeling hungry. Eat more protein or try sipping on a Protein shake when you start to feel hungry..that and LOTS of Water liquids etc.

A lot of it could also be head hunger. This definitely isn't brain surgery, so if you haven't been able to find and tackle the head hunger demons, you will still want to eat all the time.

Good luck! It's a tough battle and it's still all really new...one step at at time.

My question to all of you is, Is anyone out there in the same boat that I am? I can handle morning huuuuger quite well,

but when it comes to 3- or 4 in the afternoon, my hunger strikes with a vengence!! Any suggestions or opinions ar emore than welcome, but please don't try to scold me, like if I am a minor, I would appreciate some useful information or tactics that worked for you instead. Thank you in advance and have a blessed day!!!!!

First of all Congrats on taking the step to getting banded. It was a big step but really the most easiest. Cuz it's all work from her until you reach restriction. I am 5 weeks post op and still struggle with hunger and probably will until I reach proper restriction.

Since you are still suppposed to be on liquids I assume since that is where I was 1 week post op I drank alot of Protein shakes made with milk, I made a cream of broccoli Soup that i pureed and strained before I ate it. I drank lost of Water and still had my coffee in the am with creamer.

If you know that your gonna be hungry around 3 or 4 make sure you have your soup ready and a Protein Drink around 2 to head off the sever hunger that you know may come at 3 or 4....Hope this helps Good luck...

You are definately not alone. It seems like most people are not honest here when it comes to speaking up about cheating. I am by no means encouraging it, nor am I a doctor, but I was in the same boat. I was able to eat solids within the week without being stuck and turned to eating junk food as well. i am six weeks out with on fill under my belt and just have a little restriction. It is really difficult to hold back on the old habits of eating, as we wouldnt needed the band if we were able to control ourselves.

Just hang in there until you get some restriction, my only suggestion is increase protein, like others said and try to stay away from carbs. If you are unsuccessful at that, just dont overeat, stuffing yourself, it could cause damage. Also, dont beat yourself up, it will come with restriction. Good Luck1

My MD had me on a regular diet after a week. I was banded on the 14th I am trying hard not to over eat but with out a fill its hard. Hang in there. Once you get a fill it should be much easer. Or I least thats what i am telling myself

My doc had me back on solids at 2 weeks but I've heard of people being back on solids a few days after surgery. The best way I know to deal with hunger is to eat. Fortunately, I had a doctor who agreed. :smile2:

My .02 for what works for me in dealing with hunger...protein and low carb. I drink a low carb, low cal Protein shake in between my meals and in the evening. I also do not eat potatoes, rice, bread, Pasta or flour products because they're high in carbs and even a small serving is enough carbs at one sitting to set me craving. I get my carbs in low carb vegies (think green) and low carb fruits.

Also, I eat every 2.5 hours. Breakfast at 7 a.m, shake at 9:30 a.m., lunch at noon, shake at 2:30 p.m., dinner at 5 and another shake at 7:30. If I feel I need something to get me through the evening, I'll have a sugar free Jello or something similar. In the midst of all that I'm getting in my 64 fl oz of Water.

I also find that hot decaf tea or a bowl of warm soup gives me a satisfying 'full' feeling.

And no I'm not going to question why you got the band if you're going to overeat. *That* is why you got the band. It's just a piece of plastic until you have restriction...which is not to say that you should at least try practicing some restraint because in the end...even with restriction, you'll still have to exercise some self-control. :mad:

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Hey everyone,

I am just here updating from yesterday, and glad to comment that I was able to tough it out today. I did chge my shake protein to liquid protein. I just imagined it would make a difference taste wise, and it did! I like it a little better, but I wonder if that is because I have been on the chocolate shake for so long that I am starting to hate it. Who knows! Well thank you all for lending a helpig hand in my time of need =). I want you to know that it is greatly appreciated, and I have been using some of your suggestions today:thumbup:.

I was banded a day after you 09/22 and for the first time yesterday I cried... I bought some tomatoe soup and that did the trick also the popcicles help alot as well.

Edited September 30, 201015 yr by mom05

It's so, so hard at the beginning. When you are genuinely hungry--and I know you are!--it's very difficult to make wise food choices.

First, stop beating yourself up. It perpetuates the same cycle you had preoperatively. The "I can't do this" mentality is, as you've already noted, self-sabotaging.

What you can do is identify ways you can bolster your odds of success. That might mean stocking up on "approved" foods. It might mean ridding the pantry of things that you choose (note that I said "choose," because when you start to think of it this way, things start changing emotionally) to avoid.

Yes, this may inconvenience others in your family temporarily. They may have to prepare their own meals, or have their ice cream outside the home instead of in the family room every evening. (In the long run, it will benefit them--no one requires junk, and if they have to make a conscious effort to acquire it, they may find it's not worth it to them.)

It's all about choices. And you DO have the strength to make them.

Start by feeding your body what it needs. Make sure you are getting enough Fluid. Make sure you are getting enough rest (this is really important). And make sure you exercise, in some form, each day. (It doesn't have to be elaborate; taking a walk is fine.)

If you focus on the basics, and gain a sense of control and mastery, then it becomes easier to resist the siren song of the pantry. It really does.

Will you be hungry? Maybe. Maybe eating the right stuff in the right amounts will still leave you feeling as though you're on a starvation diet.

But know this: this is the last time you will be hungry in the name of weight loss. As you gain restriction, that overwhelming hunger will disappear.

For now, you can work to acquire the good habits that will serve you well when you do have restriction. You can start conquering the head hunger monster. You can make HUGE progress, even during this period when you are struggling.

But it starts with being kind to yourself. Recognizing that your body and mind are still hugely affected by a pretty significant trauma to the system. That you're naturally all over the place, emotionally, because not only have you introduced something that requires enormous change from you, but that the situation is compounded by the insult of anesthesia, surgery, and medications, by hormone fluctuations, by things that you just have to ride out.

The rollercoaster ride will end. But you can make it easier for yourself if you gently guide yourself to the right choices.

ETA: I agree with Elfie about Protein and low-carbing; my doctor's eating regimen is posted in the visitor message section of my profile. Was I hungry before I had restriction? Yes. But this really helped manage it for me.

I was exactly wher Had_Enough was, one week after banding. I was SOOOO HUNGRY, that I started eating regular food a week after banding!! (8/24/10). One month after banding, I went in for a fill, expecting to have gained weight, but I hadden't!! I was thrilled!! Now I have a little restriction, but am looking for more. All of this advice has been helpful for me, too. Thank you. We just need to be kind to ourselves. It took us more than a few monts to gain all this excess weight, it's going to take awhile to get it all off. And it truely is a learning experience!! Blessings!

there is a great product called liqucell and it has 15 or 16 grams of protein in a 1 oz shot. I find that when I am really hungry it helps me out.

Hello all,

I need help, I was just a banded a week ago, and yesterday and today have been HELL for me. I am so hungry, I ate yesterday afternoon, and today, but today was much worse. I know many of you will question why I did this surgery in th first place if I was going to cotinue over eatig, well I am genuinelly hungry!! I do not he healthy food to eat (at least) so I gave in. Now I feel like a self-sabottaging monster. I have cried, called my husband at work for moral support, and for the first time, I contacted OA (overeaters annonymous). I did not get the answers I needed at the moment, because there were no meeting today around my area, but I am for sure going to look into it, as I feel this will help me gain mental strength.

My question to all of you is, Is anyone out there in the same boat that I am? I can handle morning huuuuger quite well,

but when it comes to 3- or 4 in the afternoon, my hunger strikes with a vengence!! Any suggestions or opinions ar emore than welcome, but please don't try to scold me, like if I am a minor, I would appreciate some useful information or tactics that worked for you instead. Thank you in advance and have a blessed day!!!!!

I too was banded on 9/21.. Yesterday was the first time i really felt hungry. I have added 2 protien shakes between meals. I also bought some creamy Soups, they seem to fill me up more than regular broth base soups. Campbells has a large variety of flavors, so you don't have to eat cream of chicken all the time. I know they have more carbs,but since I am still on liquids I am not getting any other carbs. I am also worried about weight gain before my first fill, which isn't until 10/21. I have lost 41 pounds so far and don't wont to gain it back, but without some restriction I don't know how much longer I can keep it off.. Good Luck to you and don't be so hard on yourself..it will be ok..:drool: God Bless

How did you make it through the two week optifast diet without starving? Like me, you probably didn't. That stage was less food than you can eat now. We should be used to hunger pains :thumbup:. I had to use NyQuil to sleep at night. Toss back a protein shake. Drink 4 or 5 protein shakes a day (instead of 2) and that will give your body something to process. It wont feel like you just ate at a buffet, but adding 2 - 3 more shakes a day will take away the hunger feeling and it wont be many carbs. I think protein shakes is the one thing you can splurge on. Granted, it is liquid calories but if they get you through the day without hunger pains, I think its worth it. Besides, you have another 20 or 40 years of life to lose your weight. Do it slow and comfortably.